Ms Cannon, co-ordinator of the Women Veterans Network on the Gold Coast, said this year's march was about recognising all veterans and that Anzac Day could provide great support for all servicemen and women.

"In some respects, it is like coming home," she said.

"The people you're marching with, they don't care the colour the uniform, they don't care how long you served, they don't care whether you deployed operationally or you stayed domestically within Australia or our allied nations — so the support just happens organically."

"I was in a rural area and I think for a lot of the young ones we were in awe of the calibre of the veterans we were marching with and we wanted to support them because we felt it was their day," she said.

"They were a lot older, they had been through a lot in their lives, lost a lot of friends and we felt our role was more of a support role. So to lead the march, it is a real honour."

In Townsville, 98-year-old World War II veteran Arnold Forrester joined today's Anzac march.

Mr Forrester was a company runner in the 39th Infantry Battalion that served in New Guinea, his image was captured in a famous photo on the Kokoda Track.

He said he vividly remembered the day their photo was taken on the track.

"It rained every day at three o'clock, three inches of rain. The mud was from your ankles to your knees," he said.

"It does grieve me to think we could lose so many wonderful 18-year-old boys. It's sad, but somebody had to do it, and unfortunately a good many paid the price. They laid their lives down that we could have this today."

Earlier, thousands of people gathered at dawn services across Queensland to pay their respects to servicemen and women and mark the 103rd anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

There was a strong turnout in Townsville, where Australian servicemen and women past and present were honoured.

The dawn service at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast focused on the role of women in the armed services as part of the By the Left campaign, which was established to highlight women's military contributions.

The Royal Australian Air Force's most senior female pilot Samantha Freeburn said she wore her medals with great pride.

"I am not only a pilot or Air Force officer, but I am a daughter, a sister a wife and a mum," she said.